# Keep Time vs Beat Station

The clearest difference is monetization model: Keep Time at free with in-app purchases against Beat Station's subscription. Keep Time also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 64%). Beat Station's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (496 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Keep Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Beat Station sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Beat Station holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beat Station has 496 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Keep Time's written reviews are positive against 64% of Beat Station's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Keep Time ships an update every 4 months, Beat Station every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Keep Time | Beat Station |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keep-time/id574330593/reviews) | **[4.5 (496 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **496** |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 63.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 3 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Justin Okun](https://appshunter.io/developer/429363982) | [Sonar Multimedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/992774946) |

## What reviewers say

### Keep Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keep-time/id574330593)

This application provides musicians with a visual metronome to enhance their playing. It offers adjustable tempo, customizable sounds and colors, and various subdivision options. Advanced features for rhythm simulation are available through in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Adjustable speed with touch gestures, 4 metronome sound options, 7 color choices for visualizer, Sub-division options (8th, 16th, triplets), Configurable visualizer beats per measure, Apple Watch remote tempo adjustment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feature Pack | $1.99 | one-time |


### Beat Station

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-station-drum-machine/id1207156644)

This app provides a versatile drum machine for musicians, offering realistic drum sets and extensive loop libraries. It allows for real-time control of song sections and hands-free operation via a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, enhancing practice, production, and live performance.

**Highlights:** Realistic drum sets, Extensive drum loop library, Multiple control modes (Loop, Pedal, Song), Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard support, Inter-App Audio and background audio, Export songs as audio files, MIDI implementation and DAW integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beat Station Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Beat Station Pro (Yearly) | $22.99 | per year |
| Beat Station Pro (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Versatile beat options
- 🎸 Great for guitarists and musicians
- 🎧 Realistic drum sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription-only model
- 🔒 Lack of one-time purchase option
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💸 Perceived as overpriced

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues (unable to restore purchases)
- App freezing or closing unexpectedly
- Blank tutorial screens
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between beats

**Requested features**

- More beat variety (Latin, jazz, waltz, etc.)
- Ability to import custom drum samples
- Tempo and style changes within a song
- Midi export option
- Better tutorial and customer support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Keep Time free?

Keep Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beat Station free?

Beat Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Keep Time or Beat Station?

Beat Station is rated higher. Keep Time averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Beat Station averages 4.5 from 496 ratings.

### Do Keep Time or Beat Station have ads?

Neither Keep Time nor Beat Station shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Keep Time or Beat Station?

Keep Time ships an update every 4 months, and Beat Station every 5 weeks. Most recently, Keep Time was updated on September 18, 2026 and Beat Station on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*